Jessica Angeles - Senior Partner Manager, Spotify

​

Jessica Angeles is a Senior Partner Manager at Spotify who leads the Lifestyle podcast vertical. In her role, Jessica manages some of the largest podcasters on the platform to help them grow, monetize, and maximize their presence on Spotify. Previously, she led Music Partnerships at Tumblr, collaborating with top musicians on bespoke activations to connect with their biggest fans.

​

​

​

Tiffany Ashitey - Managing Director, The Americas, Acast

​

Tiffany Ashitey is Managing Director, The Americas at Acast, the world's largest independent podcast company, which hosts, distributes, and monetizes more than 100,000 podcasts. A three-time Webby Award-nominated Executive Producer, Tiffany has more than a decade of experience leading, executing, and managing projects in audio storytelling, video production, digital, and podcast production. She's worked with brands such as Sports Illustrated, Coach, Jordan Brand, Essence Magazine, and Black Entertainment Television (BET). She founded and ran the ESSENCE Podcast Network, the first-ever podcast network in the brand's 50-year history — created, operated, developed, and produced by women of color. In 2022 and 2023, she was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the 40 most powerful people in podcasting and was awarded by AdExchanger and Admonsters as a Change Maker, as well as one of its top 20 women to watch in media and ad tech.

​

​

​

​

Chris Berube - Senior Producer, 99% Invisible

 

Chris Berube is a Senior Producer at 99% Invisible. Recently, he edited The Dropout (ABC News, now a TV show!) and the second season of Articles of Interest (Radiotopia). He's also worked for Slate Magazine, the CBC in Canada and the 30 for 30 podcast. Chris has lost at the Webby Awards six times, and with any luck, he will one day be the losingest person in Webby history.

​

​

​

​

Nick Borenstein - GM, The Webby Awards

​​

As General Manager of The Webby Awards, Nick leads strategic development, partnerships and industry relations to continue the Webbys’ mission of honoring excellence online. Nick is an award-winning producer, filmmaker, and content executive with a diverse background in film, television, audio, and digital. After roles at Topic Studios, Hud:sun Media, and Participant Media, he founded Brumor Films to create original content and manage events & partnerships for clients like The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Screen Australia, and the Consulate General of Canada. Notable credits include the Emmy-nominated series AKA WYATT CENAC, Webby Award-winning podcast MISSING RICHARD SIMMONS, and collaborations with filmmakers Sharon Horgan and Robert Kirkman.

​

​

​

​

Jemma Rose Brown - Co-Creator, On Air Fest

​

Jemma Rose Brown is an artist, connector and curator of cultural programs raised & based in NYC. Her approach is shaped by a decade+ career in podcasts and the audio industry. Jemma is the Co-Creator of On Air Fest, the premiere event for audio storytelling and was the longtime Director of the podcast-focused creative agency work x work. She is Co-Founder of studio Cosmophage. Previously, she was a Producer at The Moth. Her projects have been covered in Vanity Fair, Wired, Forbes & Rolling Stone.

​

​

​

​

Saskia Chanoine - Director of  IP Partnerships at Bloomberg Media

​

Saskia Chanoine is an Emmy Award-winning producer working at the intersection of media, business and technology. She is the Director of  IP Partnerships at Bloomberg Media. Her focus is to leverage Bloomberg IP to develop unscripted and scripted projects through strategic partnerships for third party platforms. Saskia started off her career as a producer at the PBSNewsHour and WNET/Channel Thirteen. She received her BA from Tufts University and her MBA from Columbia Business School. Saskia is native French speaker and in her free time volunteers as a Big Sister in the Big Brother Big Sister program and holds the role of Finance Chair on the board of the non-profit Fresh Youth Initiative.

​

​

Michelle Dang - Producer, Science Vs

 

Michelle is a Producer at Science Vs. Before osmosing into the audio world, she studied biology — and is also a nerd for pretty graphs, visuals and experiential learning.

​

​

​

​

​

Nikki Ettore - SVP, Head of Development & Production, iHeartPodcast Network

Nikki Ettore is the SVP, Head of Development & Production at iHeartPodcast Network, where she has launched celebrated shows (The Girlfriends, Call Your Grandmother, Supreme), collaborates with incredible talent (from Jo Piazza to Hillary Clinton to Michael Rapaport), and works with brands/partners like LinkedIn, Imagine Entertainment, and Kaleidoscope.

​

​

​

Yael Even Or - Senior Producer/Production Lead, Paradiso

 

Yael Even Or is a Senior Producer and Production Lead at Paradiso US. There, she produced "Seventeen" and “Beyond the Ring with Daisy King” (Paramount). Prior to Paradiso, she produced numerous non fiction podcasts for Audible, among them "Mandela: The Lost Tapes", "Meeting Manson" and an upcoming investigative project with Jon Ronson. Her reporting and commentary appeared in the Washington Post, BBC World Service, Vice, PRI, WNYC, The Jewish Daily Forward, Tablet Magazine, and Okay Africa. Yael worked at KCRW, NPR's member station in LA, PRI's America Abroad, and Israel's Walla News. She has a master's degree in international affairs from The New School.

​

​

​

Sarah Ganim - Host and Journalist, Believable

Sara Ganim is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and former CNN correspondent who regularly publishes in print and broadcast. A multi-platform reporter, Ganim has reported and written for newspapers, wire services, cable television, radio, podcasts and documentaries and has won several of the industry’s top awards. For the last several years, Ganim has worked in audio narratives. She is currently reporting and hosting Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story, a Dear Media original investigation about a woman from Germany who moved to Utah and became an internet scam artist. In 2021, she launched a podcast with Advance Local and Meadowlark Media called The Mayor of Maple Avenue, about the intersection of trauma and addiction and societal failures in the wake of the #meToo movement. The podcast had more than 1.2 million downloads and won first place for podcast in Pennsylvania's Keystone Awards. She is also the host of Why Don’t We Know, a podcast which explores government secrecy. It won the EWA public service award in 2020. 

​

​

Davy Gardner - Curator of Audio Storytelling, Tribeca

​

Davy Gardner is an award-winning writer and creator whose work in audio appears on networks like Radiotopia, Wondery, and Audible, among others. He was nominated for Best Scriptwriting (Fiction) at the Podcast Academy Ambie Awards for his series, “Pariah”. He is also a screenwriter, director, playwright, and performs and writes comedy for The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Davy launched and oversees Tribeca Audio, a division of Tribeca that produces original series and live events for global audiences. As Curator of Audio Storytelling he leads all aspects of the Tribeca Festival's Audio Storytelling Program.

​

​

​

​

​

Jazmine Henley-Brown, Executive Producer

​

Jazmine is a creative powerhouse who absolutely hates being “boxed in.” She’s an Executive Podcast Producer, Media Personality, Sit-down Comedian, and Author of This Box is Too Small - a book for Multi-Hyphenates. She’s worked for SiriusXM and Sony Music Entertainment, creating and executive producing award-nominated podcasts like New Rory & MAL, Lovers & Friends with Shan Boodram, and Reality with The King. Her recent work includes creating & executive producing 90 Day: The Last Resort Sessions for TLC/Warner Bros. Discovery & Sony. In 2017, Jazmine founded the Milwaukee Podcast Festival to showcase local audio talent in her hometown. The festival featured seven live shows from Milwaukee-based creators and a headlining live show by The Brilliant Idiots podcast, hosted by The Breakfast Club’s Charlemagne The God & and Comedian Andrew Schulz. 

​

​

​

Meryl Horn - Senior Producer, Science Vs

 

Meryl is a Senior Producer at Science Vs. Before joining the team, she got her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco, where she was president of Carry The One Radio, the UCSF student-run podcast. She's also worked at labs at MIT, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and Hunter College of CUNY.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Eleanor Kagan - Senior Producer, Magnificent Noise

 

Eleanor Kagan is an award-winning producer and showrunner who has spent fifteen years in the radio, podcast, and news industries. She currently serves as Senior Producer at Magnificent Noise, a boutique production house and consulting company. Her recent work includes a partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Immaterial), a series about blind first dates (This Is Dating), a deep-dive history of Chippendales’ male strippers (Welcome To Your Fantasy), and an intimate portrait of end-of-life care (Julie: The Unwinding of the Miracle). Previously, she was BuzzFeed’s Director of Audio and spearheaded several critically-acclaimed podcasts, including Another Round, See Something Say Something, and Thirst Aid Kit. She has also been on staff at Pineapple Street Studios and National Public Radio, and teaches undergraduates at The New School how to tell meaningful stories about history through audio.

​

​

​

Nishat Kurwa - SVP and Executive Producer, Vox Media Podcast Network

​

Nishat Kurwa is SVP and Executive Producer of the Vox Media Podcast Network. She oversees the network's podcast programming, new show development, and the Vox Media Studios podcast production team. She's worked closely with Vox Media's editorial brands and external partners to create and grow shows including Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Land of the Giants, and The Cut podcast. 

​

​

​

​

​

Alyssa Martino - SVP of Podcasting, Film Nation Entertainment

​

Alyssa Martino is the SVP of Podcasting at FilmNation Entertainment, a leading producer, financier, and distributor of independent film, television, theater, and audio that is a destination for many of the world’s most renowned filmmakers. Martino oversees the company’s audio division, where she is responsible for developing and producing their podcast slate. Previously, she was the Associate Director of Podcasts for the big five book publisher Macmillan.

​

​

​

​

Chris McLeod - Podcast Producer

​

Chris is a renowned producer in the world of podcasting, where he blends insightful storytelling with the latest in technology. During his tenure on the acclaimed Masters of Scale podcast hosted by Reid Hoffman, it received 22 Webby Awards and over 100 million downloads. Chris is also the creative force behind Spark & Fire, a podcast that delves into the creative process. The show generated partnerships with BBC and Skillshare, and won multiple Webby Awards including Best Individual Episode. Before venturing into the world of podcasting, he honed his craft in Nashville, TN, as a talented songwriter and music producer, collaborating with independent and major label artists, alongside prestigious brands such as Capitol Records, RedBull, MTV, and Discovery. With a keen eye on the intersection of AI, technology, and podcasting, Chris has continually pushed the boundaries of what's possible in the medium. His insights into how AI can enhance storytelling, improve production processes, and create more immersive listening experiences make him a sought-after voice in discussions about the future of AI.

​

​

​

​

Chris Morrow - Head of Audio, Plan B Entertainment

​

Chris Morrow is the Head of Audio at Plan B Entertainment, Brad Pitt’s production company. Prior to Plan B, Morrow co-founded The Loud Speakers Network in 2013 with the late Reggie “Combat Jack” Osse, home to shows like The Read, Brilliant Idiots, and The Combat Jack Show. He is also the co-creator and an editor on Gimlet’s scripted series Mogul and the creator, executive producer and co-writer of the Audible original Summer of 85, hosted by Kevin Hart.Morrow co-founded The Loud Speakers Network in 2013 with the late Reggie “Combat Jack” Osse, home to shows like The Read, Brilliant Idiots, and The Combat Jack Show. He is also the co-creator and an editor on Gimlet’s scripted series Mogul and the creator, executive producer and co-writer of the Audible original Summer of 85, hosted by Kevin Hart. Morrow has also co-authored six New York Times best sellers, including Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Black Privilege and Shook Ones with Charlamagne Tha God.

 

​
 

​

Arielle Nissenblatt - Community Marketing Manager, Descript

​

Arielle Nissenblatt has been working in the podcast space since early 2017 when she started a podcast recommendation newsletter called EarBuds Podcast Collective. Since then, she’s managed podcast studios in Los Angeles, worked as an in-app curator at Castbox.fm, completed a certificate in audio documentary studies from the Salt Institute, produced several podcasts, run successful marketing and PR campaigns, has organized podcast communities on Twitter, Discord, and Slack, and much more. She is on the community team at Descript, serves on the board of governors for The Podcast Academy, and is one of the founders of The Podcast Taxonomy

​

​

​

​

Emi Norris - Managing Director, Paradiso US

​

Emi is Paradiso Media's US Managing Director and Executive Producer of all English-language podcasts. In this role she has negotiated original content commissions, co-productions, and distribution deals with Spotify, Audible, Audible UK, Stitcher/SiriusXM, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, Realm, Macro, Brut, Ubisoft and others, and garnered wins and nominations from the Webbys, Ambies, Signals, Tribeca Audio Storytelling and National Parenting Product Awards. Prior to Paradiso, Emi worked in originals partnerships & distribution at VICE and Refinery29 and strategy at Bertelsmann. She also spent seven years in the film industry, first in production on films by directors Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuarón, and later in international TV sales and digital distribution. She holds a BA from Tufts University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

​

​

​

​

Molly O'Keefe - Head of Development, Paradiso

​

Molly O’Keefe is the Head of Development for Paradiso where she has produced “Seventeen,” “Conference Call,” “In The Ring with Daisy King” (Paramount) and “The Baker Street Four” (Audible UK). She previously oversaw Artist Programs at Tribeca Film Institute, whose mission was to fight gender and racial inequality in entertainment. Prior to that, she was a development and production executive at Sundance Productions and Red Hour. Molly has consulted for the Sundance Episodic and Screenwriter's Labs, Warner Bros Director’s Program, WarnerMedia’s OneFifty and producer Debbie Liebling. She is a graduate of Emerson College and based in Los Angeles. 

​

​

​

Shima Oliaee - CEO and Founder, Shirazad Productions

​

Shima Oliaee is the CEO and founder of Shirazad Productions. Her work focuses on the stories of the marginalized: Voices forced into silence, often ignored or maligned by the media. Pink Card, her first independently-produced series, premiered in December 2022 at ESPN 30 for 30. It received a Murrow Award, honors from the Overseas Press Club, a National Headliner Award, two Gracie Awards, and two NY Festival of the Arts Awards. Oliaee also co-created Dolly Parton’s America, receiving a Peabody Award and a Murrow Award, along with several national honors. Her documentary Flag and the Fury won a duPont-Columbia Award and Best in Show at the National Headliner Awards. She created The Vanishing of Harry Pace for Radiolab, nominated for Best Audio Doc by the IDA, and her series UnErased was named podcast of the year by KQED News.  After studying music and cinema at USC, Oliaee received her graduate degree in psychology. She worked as a teacher, a translator, and in comedy television, including on the Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Her upcoming series The Competition explores the complicated nature of girlhood in America and premieres on April 15, 2024.

​

​

Lauren Oliver - Founder, StoryGiants

​

Lauren Oliver is a bestselling author, screenwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. In 2020, Lauren founded a media technology studio, StoryGiants, in partnership with one of Google’s top AI engineers. StoryGiants uses proprietary AI to solve problems in the media/ production space, and counts producers and independent studios among its roster of first clients. In 2022, StoryGiants acquired Glasstown Entertainment in order to further grow its offerings of diverse entertainment services to its partners and clients, and it continues to explore exciting opportunities in the media space. 

​

​

​

​

Lauren Passell - Founder, Tink Media

​

Lauren Passell is the founder of Tink Media, a podcast growth company. She is the editor of Podcast the Newsletter and Podcast Marketing Magic, is the co-host of Feed the Queue, and writes about podcasts for Lifehacker. She has spoken about podcast marketing for Radio Bootcamp, SXSW, Podcast Movement, Podfest, London Podcast Festival and more. She is a judge for Signal Awards and the International Women's Podcast Awards. Follow her on Twitter @laurenpassell.

​

​

​

​

​

Leah Reis-Dennis - Vice President, Content Strategy and Business Development, Audacy

​

Leah Reis-Dennis is Vice President, Content Strategy and Business Development at Audacy, where she leads podcast acquisition and development. Prior to joining Audacy, Leah worked at Stitcher/SXM. Recent highlights include Search Engine, Amy Poehler's Dr? Sheila, Fly On The Wall, Vibe Check, The Mel Robbins Podcast, and Welcome to Provincetown

​Emily Rudder - Head of Development, Wonder Media Network

​

Emily Rudder is the Head of Development at Wonder Media Network (WMN), a mission-driven audio-first media company dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices. She works across WMN originals and branded podcasts for partners such as Audible, Shondaland and Pfizer. She has a background in digital strategy, advising for nonprofits and foundations.

​

​

​

​

​

Tory Smith - Manager, Podcast Production & Development, Film Nation Entertainment

​

Hailing from the vastly different (yet eerily similar?) worlds of late night television and post-production operations, Tory Smith joined FilmNation in 2015 with the Worldwide Delivery Team. He has since transitioned to a role in Podcasting, aiding in project development, talent communications, and various aspects of the production pipeline across all of FilmNation’s shows.

​

​

​

Rachael Swan-Krasnoff - Senior Marketing Director at Ruby, iHeartMedia

​

Rachael Swan-Krasnoff, Senior Marketing Director at Ruby, iHeartMedia’s Branded Audio Studio, is dedicated to crafting impactful brand narratives. Spearheading the conceptualization of some of the studio’s most notable success stories for brands like Quickbooks, AbVie, and Chase For Business, Rachael acts as the essential liaison between sales and production. Her meticulous approach ensures that podcasts not only captivate target demographics but also resonate authentically with broader audiences, often resulting in commercial hits. Before joining Ruby, Rachael worked at both Wondery and Spotify, where she played a pivotal role in managing their most lucrative podcast partnerships across diverse verticals and facilitated onboarding for some of the platform’s largest acquisitions. Rachael brings a unique blend of strategic insight, creative prowess, and a passion for audio storytelling to her work, making her a sought-after expert in the dynamic landscape of branded audio content creation. Beyond the office, she skillfully manages the delightful chaos of keeping her feline companions from toppling everything in her home while navigating the joys and challenges of raising a new puppy.

​

​

​

Blythe Terrell - Supervising Editor, Spotify

​

 Blythe Terrell started her career in print, as a newspaper reporter and editor in Texas and Colorado, before earning her Master’s of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins. She then worked at FiveThirtyEight, as a general editor and then science and health editor, before moving to audio in 2017. Blythe is now executive editor at Science Vs at Gimlet. The show has won a Gold Award and a Silver Award from the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards.

​

​

​

Natalie Tulloch - VP of Audio, Hello Sunshine

​

Natalie Tulloch is the VP of audio at Hello Sunshine. She joined the Hello Sunshine team  in  2023. Prior to joining Hello Sunshine she created Spotify’s  Global podcast  program Sound Up, a podcast accelerator program dedicated to raising the next generation of podcasters through education, workshops, and support. Natalie originally created and launched the program in the US and UK but eventually scaled the program globally to 12  markets, including Argentina, the UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden,  Mexico and Brazil. Prior to taking on the Sound Up role, she led the News & Documentary vertical working as the Executive producer with the likes of Times Up, Amy Schumer, Pineapple Street Media and Vice News. Shows of note include: Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith, Noisemakers, Good As Hell, Showstopper and Chapo: Kingpin on Trial. Natalie has spent a career in media across both publishing and TV. She spent her early career at Time Inc., Conde Nast, and later worked at HBO and AMC Networks. She has been included in Variety’s 2022 Impact Report.

​

​

​

Britta von Schoeler - Head of Broadway Video Enterprises

​

Britta von Schoeler heads Broadway Video Enterprises (BVE) – the division of Broadway Video, Lorne Michaels’ global media and entertainment company, charged with creating revenue growth and amplifying the company’s portfolio of brands across all media. In her position, von Schoeler helms the strategic planning and implementation of partnerships for Broadway Video Entertainment’s programming library, which includes the NBC Emmy Award-winning sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, as well as The Other Two, Documentary Now!, Schmigadoon, Miracle Workers and many others. Additionally, von Schoeler conceives and executes on unique business opportunities creating globally recognized brands such as Más Mejor, BVE’s comedy content studio powered by Latino voices. She is the Executive Producer of Amazon’s Kids in the Hall and Producer of HBO’s Los Espookys. Von Schoeler also launched Broadway Video’s audio division and oversees the production of all podcasts including New York Times Best Selling Audible Originals like Heads Will Roll (written and starring Kate McKinnon) and Hit Job (starring Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer), and Hot White Heist (named as a Best Podcast of 2021 by Vulture and starring Bowen Yang). von Schoeler’s efforts extend the reach of the BVE brands globally. Her portfolio of projects ranges from global distribution of traditional media – including the production of new series and formats – to leveraging Broadway Video’s family of talent and intellectual property for experiential executions such as live tours and exhibits to the creation of product lines. In addition, von Schoeler handles the creation of authentic premium content integrations for top brands. Prior to joining BVE in 2001, von Schoeler worked for BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc. overseeing consumer products production and marketing for numerous popular shows, including Absolutely Fabulous. In addition, she was Manager of Business Affairs at Discovery Communications, Inc. She is a graduate of Vassar College.

​

​

​

​

Lillian Xu – Executive Director, Audio Business, Vox Media

​

Lillian Xu is Vox Media's executive director for the audio business, where she leads strategic initiatives, franchise expansions, partnerships, and business operations. Prior to joining Vox Media, Lillian worked at New York Public Radio, where she led their strategy and business development team, overseeing general strategic planning, as well as partnerships and growth initiatives for top podcasts like Radiolab and The New Yorker Radio Hour. Previously, she also worked as a management consultant in Oliver Wyman’s Digital practice. She's is a graduate of Princeton University and she resides in New York City, where she sings in a chamber choir, plays pickleball, and volunteers for Apex for Youth.